HARTFORD — The Sandy Hook Advisory Commission is next scheduled to meet Friday, January 16, at 9:30 am, at the Legislative Office Building.

The commission is Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s 16-member panel of experts tasked with reviewing current policies and making specific recommendations in the areas of public safety, with particular attention paid to school safety, mental health, and gun violence prevention.

A state Department of Transportation (DOT) official is offering some ideas on how the Main Street flagpole intersection’s traffic problems can be alleviated through a redesign of the five-legged intersection.

William Britnell, principal engineer in DOT’s highway design unit, said that creating a “roundabout” at the flagpole intersection would improve traffic flow there, alleviating the vehicle-turning conflicts that occur at the intersection, which becomes congested at times.

Following a foot pursuit midday on January 7, police caught and then arrested a New York City man who allegedly stole nearly $1,200 worth of merchandise from a South Main Street drug store in a shoplifting incident.

Police Sergeant Aaron Bahamonde said police received a call for help about 12:12 pm from Walgreens Pharmacy at 49 South Main Street, informing them that a shoplifting theft had occurred there. The store is on the northern corner of South Main Street and Mile Hill Road.

Sandy Hook Promise, the community organization founded in the days following 12/14, announced Monday, January 12, its partnership with Beyond Differences, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending social isolation in schools across the country. Together, they are promoting February 13 as National No One Eats Alone Day, and urging schools to participate in tackling the epidemic of social exclusion by holding lunchtime events at their schools with activities that encourage students to engage with one another.

First Selectman Pat Llodra is seeking residents to fill several opening on local appointed boards and commissions. In some cases the appointments are required to be affiliated with a specific political party, while in other cases unaffiliated voters are encouraged to consider serving.